The present invention generally relates to the field of wheelchairs and particularly to a tray assembly attachable to a wheelchair for providing a tray which may be used and stored on the wheelchair while allowing a user of the wheelchair to maintain operation of the wheelchair.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,362 granted to Applicant on Mar. 11, 1975 describes a tray for attachment to a wheelchair. The tray attachment described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,362 was limited in its use and exceptionally expensive to fabricate. Consequently, use of the tray design was impractical. However, the need for a readily accessible and storable wheelchair tray is still as apparent now as it appeared to be when U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,362 was granted in 1975. The present commercial outlets of wheelchair trays typically provide trays held in place by Velcro, which must be removed for the occupant to enter or leave the wheelchair. Also available are partial width trays hinged to the arm of the wheelchair. Such trays which must be removed are temporarily stored, and thus may be inconveniently next needed. Moreover, the tray disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,362 contained features which required extensive machining during manufacture, was time consuming to assemble, and was somewhat difficult to install on a wheelchair.
Consequently, it would be desirable to simplify the tray attachment to reduce the cost of parts and assembly, and to minimize the difficulty of installation to the wheelchair. Further, it is desirable to make the location of the tray more easily adjusted with respect to the castered front wheel; to make the height at which the forward portion of the tray may be stored adjustable by a user of the wheelchair; to make the mounting versatile so the tray attachment can be used with wheelchairs with shortened arm rests; to more easily allow the occupant to move the tray from the use position to the stored position and the reverse by using only one arm; and to allow the occupant or caregiver to use the tray assembly to provide stability to and for the occupant by limiting the movement of the tray in the use position.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a novel tray assembly attachable to a chair assembly, such as a wheelchair, stationary chair, or the like. The tray assembly includes a tray and may be mounted on most chair assemblies having an essentially full length normal horizontal support arm, which may include an arm rest. The tray assembly may also be mounted on shortened horizontal support desk arm wheelchairs which allowed the chair assembly and its occupant to get closer to a table. The construction and installation of the tray assembly allows the tray to be stored at the side of the chair assembly. For example, when connected to a wheelchair the tray assembly is outside the large diameter rear wheel in a manner which allows the maximum exposure of the drive wheel rim. The construction of the tray assembly allows the occupant to grasp, pull and lift the tray upward and around into the utilization position. The mechanisms that allow that to occur are an extension member sliding and rotating within a mounting tube and a swivel assembly connecting the tray to the extension member. The tray assembly is so designed that the parts used to support the tray in the storage position are also used to assist in restraining the occupant in the utilization position.
The tray assembly of the present invention also allows the occupant more independence by having the tray attached to the chair assembly in such a manner as to seem an integral part of the chair assembly. The tray assembly provides for easy removal from a chair assembly by pulling the extension tube out of the mounting tube. The tray assembly also reduces the cost of parts and assembly and minimizes the difficulty of installation to the chair assembly. Further, when the tray assembly is mounted to a wheelchair the location of the tray allows the tray to be more easily adjusted with respect to the castered front wheel. Additionally, the height at which the forward portion of the tray may be stored is adjustable by a user of the wheelchair, and the mounting is made versatile so the tray assembly may be used with wheelchairs with shortened armrests. The present invention allows the occupant to move the tray from the use position to the stored position and the reverse by using only one arm, and allows the occupant or caregiver to use the tray assembly to provide stability to and for the occupant by limiting the movement of the tray in the use position. The present invention also simplifies the use of the tray to allow the partially disabled to more easily move the tray from the stored position to the utilization position and return it to the stored position.